Java drinkers who experience pangs of guilt over their weekly latte bill have the opportunity to assuage some of those feelings and pay it forward at The Pamplemousse Project in White Plains, a coffee shop and café that donates every penny earned to area nonprofits—with loyal sippers helping to decide who receives the funds.
The Pamplemousse Project is the brainchild of White Plains residents Lydia and Gary Kris, who retired from careers in marketing and finance, respectively, and decided to pair their desire to create a neighborhood gathering place with an urge to give back. “We saw an increasing need for services in the community,” says Lydia. “Hunger, the arts… many organizations are struggling to raise money.” They had their hearts set on assisting other ailing sectors, as well, from health and human services to education and affordable housing.
In December 2022, in a new expansive space in downtown White Plains, the Kris couple began brewing, as a link to apply for funding went live on their website. Six months later, in June of 2023, they emptied the cash register and awarded their first round of grants, totaling $10,500. Westchester Youth Alliance, Paws Crossed Animal Rescue, and Lifting Up Westchester received $3,500 apiece; not a dime went into the Kris’ pockets.
Another round of grants followed a few months later, and last year, The Pamplemousse Project directed $21,000 toward six charities, including Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Pace Women’s Justice Center, Family Legal Care, and SPCA Westchester. The eventual goal is to make grants on a quarterly basis.
In determining which charities to benefit, Lydia and Gary Kris receive input from their Customer Advisory Board, composed of the café’s loyalty members, all of whom are invited to join. “We want the community involved in the process,” Lydia says.
In line with its owners’ ethos, The Pamplemousse Project sources beans from certified Rainforest Alliance producers and brews them in a bright, modern space designed with natural, sustainable materials; reclaimed lumber was used for the tables and shelving with counters fashioned from recycled sorghum stalks.
In addition to all the steaming handcrafted incarnations you’d expect from a proper coffee shop, the menu also offers tea, apple cider, and hot chocolate. Pastries, muffins, and sweets from local bakeries give the sips something to wash down, and heartier breakfast burritos, bowls, and salads make for a solid café experience. And there’s a hard-to-resist wall of candy and gleaming glass cases dotted with delicious chocolates and truffles.
As for why this café-with-a-conscience is named after the French word for grapefruit: “It’s a silly nickname for our dog and it’s a metaphor between our dog, who is a rescue, and our project with the café,” says Lydia. “We don’t know her history and she has her challenges—much like our community, which has its challenges, like every place.”
The Kris couple intends to keep addressing those challenges seven days a week, one cup at a time. And if you spring for extra foam, all the better—for everyone.
The Pamplemousse Project
124 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains
914.829.4736
Website
Related: Here’s Where to Get Your Cold Brew Coffee Fix in Westchester
